Footlights



Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED sTATEsr reuoFF cs JOHN H. KLIEGL, on NEW YORK, n. Assie vqn ro iprper s ncs. unrynusnr ELEC- Av TRIO STAGE LIGHTING 00., 1110., or new ag ng, n. at, n oo troanrro y or new YORK ' mates Application filed May 16,

This invention pertains to footlights for theatres. Such lights are usually arranged in banks across the front of the stage. In the arrangement herein illustrated each lamp has an inuividual reflector; The principal object of the invention is to provide improved devices for supporting those individual reflectors.

The lamps are supported in sockets mounted in rows at the rear of a long boxlike metallic trough. It has been customary to support the individual reflectors at their rear ends, thereby rendering the reflector supports difiicult of access and filling the rear of the trough with devices which seriously interfered with the circulation of cooling air through the trough.

In the present design the reflectors are supported entirely from the front plate of the trough by devices which are simple, accessible, easily operable, cheap to manufacture, and which do not interfere with circulation of air lengthwise of the trough.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specificationand claims, and shown in the drawings which by way of illustration show what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention. 7

Fig. 1 is a cross-section on line 11 of Fig. 2 is a view, from the stage, of a portion of a bank of lights showing their staggered arrangement.

The level of the stage floor is at 10. The footlight structure is set into an inclined outer trough 12 set below the level of the floor. The

footlight trough proper, comprises a front wall 14 which supports the lenses and reflectors, a rear wall 16, an upper cover 18, and a lower wall 20 which is preferably in one piece with front wall 14.

Extending parallel to'wall 16 is an offset partition 22 to which are fast the lamp sockets 24. Partition 22 has upper and lower rearwardly extending portions 26 and 28. Extension 26 is secured to the upper edge of plate 16 by bolt 30, the lower edge of plate 16 being secured to plate 20 by bolt 82. The space between plate 16 and partition 22 accommo- 11928. Serial No. 278,126.

bolts 36 tothe upper edge of plate 14. h It fre queei li pp n t at we we t ep d emandt eter r et s' a l d 1 9 0 Serve as a brace or support to prevent collapse het r Pla s 1 Each' lamp: 34 is surrounded by a reflecfier 4QJe d i he Loren 1 d of ea reflector f p er-ted e terta ned .2 E c rounder is held in place against a shoulder 44, by a spring wire ring 46 of well known design, which engages a recess 48 in the reflector. Recess 48andshoulder 44 are formed in the metal of the reflector by a spinning operation. Each retaining ring 46 is provided with a pair of finger pieces 50 for use of the operator in collapsing the ring to remove it from recess 48 when it is desired to remove the roundel for any purpose, as for instance to change a lamp.

Slightly toward the rear of shoulder 44 the reflector is provided with a second shoulder 52 of somewhat smaller outside diameter than shoulder 44. Shoulder 52 is. of small enough diameter to pass through an opening in plate 14 whereas shoulder 44 will not pass through the opening. The reflector is assembled in plate 14 by passing the reflector through the opening as far as shoulder 44 will permit, and then snapping a spring ring 54 between shoulder 52 and plate 14. This holds the reflector in operative position yet may readily be removed if required by simply removing ring 54.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction herein specifically illustrated but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim 1. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a plate having an opening, a reflector, twocircumferential shoulders on said reflector, one of said shoulders being of less diameter than the opening in said plate, the other of said shoulders being of greater diameter than the opening in said plate; and

means insertable between said lesser diameter shoulder and said plate'to hold said reflector in operative position in said plate, said greater diameter shoulder being adapted to support a lens in the open end of said reflector. 2. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a plate having an opening, a lens, a reflector, a circumferential shoulder near the open end of said reflector and adapted to support the lens therein, a second shoulder spaced toward the rear from said first mentioned shoulder in said reflector, and means cooperating with said shoulders for holding said reflector in operative position in said plate. 8. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a perforated plate, a lens, a reflector having spaced circumferential shoulders near the open end thereof, one of said shoulders being of larger diameter than the other, means comprising a split spring ring for holding said lens in operative position within said reflector against the larger of'said shoulders, and means comprising a split spring ring cooperating with the smaller of said shoulders for holding said reflector in operative position with said larger shoulder in contact with the rim of a perforation in said plate. a

y In testimony whereof hereto 'afiix my signature.

7 JOHN H. KLIEGL. 

